Answer the following question in 3-4 complete sentences. Define the terms overlapping and foreshortening. How has Andrea Mantegna used these two concepts to create the painting above entitled, The Lamentation over the Dead Christ?

Answer:

Overlapping is arranging forms so that one appears in front of and partly hides another, which helps show depth. Foreshortening makes a form look compressed when it extends toward or away from the viewer. Mantegna overlaps the mourners, Christ, and the bed linens to create a layered sense of space. He foreshortens Christ’s body, especially his feet, by showing it from the foot end so the body appears to recede dramatically into the distance.